Two weeks after reports of that her decision to accompany soccer-star husband David Beckham on his unexpected recall back to England had put the previously announced six-episode NBC reality series that was supposed to chronicle her move to Los Angeles in jeopardy first surfaced, the network has confirmed that it has scrapped the former Spice Girl's series and will replace it with a one-shot reality special.
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Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, which NBC is billing as a "one-hour special event" that will give viewers "an exclusive look inside the life of international superstar Victoria Beckham as she makes the move across the pond from London to Los Angeles," will air on Monday, July 16 at 8PM ET.
"Viewers will get a first-hand glimpse into what it's like to be one of the most sought after celebrities in the world," NBC Entertainment executive Craig Plestis announced Wednesday. "Victoria's every move is documented by the paparazzi, but only our cameras have been allowed inside the world of what being Victoria Beckham is really like."
Reports that NBC was planning to give Victoria her own reailty show first surfaced in February, about a month after her husband signed a $250 million deal to leave Europe's Real Madrid and play for Major League Soccer's Los Angeles Galaxy. In early March, NBC formally announced that 19 Entertainment -- the company run by Beckham manager and American Idol creator Simon Fuller -- would produce a six-episode docu-reality series that would focus on her family's move from England to the States and how they were adjusting to American life.
With David's last game for Real Madrid scheduled for June 17, the couple and their three children had reportedly been planning to complete their move to the family's new $22 million Beverly Hills house in mid-July. However David was recently recalled back to the U.K. to play for the English national soccer team, putting Victoria in a bind between supporting her husband and continuing to film the series.
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"Victoria is always happy to fulfil her obligations and she'll fly out at the end of June to do another week's filming. But that will only give the network about half an hour's footage on top of the half hour they shot last month," a source told the Daily Mirror earlier this month. "Vic is fiercely loyal to David - the whole move to Los Angeles was for him and his career in the first place. She was in tears when she heard he'd been recalled to the England squad as she knew that was his ultimate dream. She had a real laugh during the initial filming of the series last month... But there is absolutely no way she'd have sacrificed being there [for David]... regardless of how much it would help her profile in the U.S."
"Victoria had great fun filming and she had to make a decision about family or TV," her spokeswoman had told People earlier this month. "It is up to the network what happens next."
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio